What Harm can she do?
by Hurlekain
Summary: Something a little different than what I was planning. The ending took a surprising right turn or was it left... one shot


Okay, this took me by surprise. I was writing it to accomplish one thing and ended up with another. It's a one shot. What I was trying to write wasn't supposed to be. I know it could use a lot of editing but I'm just not interested in doing it. So don't flame or critque, just let me know if you like it.

Me own nothing. Just borrowing.

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Tara lets a frown cross her face as she brushes the dust from the clothes she was just wearing. _She was right. Too frumpy._ She tosses the peasent shirt aside and checks the outfit she was currently wearing. Low rider jeans, with a thong, tight black shirt with thin straps and a blazer style leather jacket. _Much better._ Her heals click on the stairs as she leaves her dorm.

The sun has just set as she steps onto the concrete path. She pauses to pull her hair back into a ponytail before heading towards her car. _I've had enough of this break-up. Time to see Willow, and put all of this behind us._

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Spike lit his cigarette and turned back to the slayer. "The good news is, that new master vampire we've been hearing about," Buffy nodded "is none other than Harmony."

Xander snorted. "Actually that is good news. Won't take much to dust her." He avoided thinking about his last encounter with Harmony.

"So, what's the bad news?" Buffy asked. She hated to wait for the other shoe to drop.

Spike took a long pull from his cigarette before answering "Seems that she's been out making minions."

"Still not much with the concern here." Buffy told him. The last set of minions that Harmony had weren't worth their weight in dust.

"Source said sum'thin about her wantin to make a childe... out of one of the slayers gang." Spike could barely hide the glee he felt as the look on Buffys face went from amused to murderous.

"It's time we introduce Harm to a dust buster." Buffy stalked off with Xander and Spike hurrying to catch up.

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Dawn heard the door being knocked on just as she got to the bottom of the stairs. She sighed and looked through a side window. Her squeal of delight could be heard through the entire house. Enough so that Willow stopped reading in her room and started downstairs.

"Tara!" Dawn squealed again and threw herself out the door to hug the blond standing there. "How are you?"

"I'm good, Dawnie. How are you?"

"Better now that you're back." She stopped as she considered her words. "You are back aren't you?"

Tara turned the quesiton over in her head for a few moments. "Maybe. If Willow will have me." Dawn jumped up and down with excitement. "Think we can go in. It's already dark out here. That is, if I'm still welcome?"

"Of course you're welcome." Dawn told her as she pulled her in the door. "You're always welcome here."

"Dawn," Willow asked from the stairs "who's..." she trailed off as she saw her girlfriend standing there smiling at her.

"I'll leave you two alone." Dawn backed away a step and then ran for the kitchen.

"I can't do this anymore." Willow and Tara spoke together and then stopped.

"I miss you so much." Willow told her as Tara accepted the redhead into her arms. From the doorway into the kitchen Dawn hugged herself and danced around the room.

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"Well, she was here." Xander held up a massive basket full of the latest in cosmetics from the floor of the crypt they were in.

"Where the bloody hell is she now?" Spike growled as he came up from a lower level.

"She's still here." Buffy corrected them and pushed on a pile of dust on the floor. "There's three more piles over there and a girl I don't know."

Xander and Spike moved as one to get a better look. Spike shook his head to say he didn't know her either.

"Uh, Buffy" Xander spoke up "I recognize her. I saw her recently in the Magic Shop." He jumped to the same conclusion as Buffy did. "Anya!"

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Tara followed Dawn into the kitchen to help with the snacks for their movie. Dawn was chattering the whole while she pulled things down from the cupboards. Tara just smiled as she popped a bag of popcorn into the microwave.

Tara turned quickly at Dawns "Ow!" and found the girl sucking on her finger.

"What happened?" Tara asked as Dawn pulled the finger out and examined it.

"Think I cut it." She replied as a bead of thick red blood appeared on the side of her digit. "Yup."

Tara hesitated a moment then "Tsk, Tsked" her as she retrieved a bandaid from the first aid kit. "Here, let me see."

Dawn held out her finger as Tara inspected the cut "Doesn't look too bad." She kept staring at it for a moment longer then pulled out a band aid. Dawn smiled in relief.

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Xander knew Anya was fine the moment the entered the shop. She was chatting pleasently with a man he knew she hated. She could only do that if he had just spent a lot of money and if she wasn't a blood thirsty demon.

"So Anya is safe." Buffy said after they filled her in on the Harmony situation.

"Willow is at home with Dawn." Xander knew that Buffy's place was safe. They had performed the un-invitation spell after the last time Harmony had come around.

"Hey," Spike spoke up "what bout Gilnda?"

Buffy hurried to the phone and called Tara's dorm room. "No answer." She then called home. Dawn picked up after three rings, just enough to make Buffy nervous.

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"Who was that Dawnie?" Tara asked from her place on the couch with Willow leaning against her.

"Buffy, just checking in." Dawn told her. "Seems Harmony is in town." Willow chuckled at the thought of the pathetic vampire. Tara remained silent. After all she didn't know the ex-cheerleader very well. "They'll be home soon."

"Good." Tara agreed quietly.

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"I can't believe we got worked up over something Harmony did... or tried to do." Xander shook his head in self disgust. He almost walked over Buffy as she came to a sudden stop. He followed her gaze to the house.

"There's a vampire in the house." Buffy announced. "Spike take the back. Xander with me." Noone argued as they moved out.

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"Dawn!" Buffy called harshly for her sister as they enter the house. Her grip upon her stake is white knuckle tight. Behind her, Xander is ready to kill anything.

"Right here." Dawn calls from the couch as she stands up and turns about. Her grin is stretching from ear to ear as she points to where Willow is laid back against Tara on the couch. "Look whose back."

Willow blushes where her head is visible over the back of the couch. Tara is watching them calmly. Dawn notices Spike coming in from the kitchen. She sees the look and slight shake of his head. "What's wrong?"

"Upstairs?" Xander asks and now Willow can see something is going on. Buffy shakes her head slowly as if in complete denial.

Spike follows her gaze. "Oh bloody hell. Glinda, not you?" Tara looks ashamed as Willow gets to her feet.

"Buffy, what's going on?" The redhead demands of her friend. Dawn is watching with understanding slowly spreading across her face.

"Will, come away from it." Buffy commands as she steps forward, stake raised. Willow sees what she intends to do.

"Buffy! No!" Willow pulls Tara from the couch and places the blond behind her. "What are you doing?"

"Red," She looks to Spike "that's not Tara."

Willow looks from the hardened expression on Buffys face to the resigned one on Spikes. Xander looks heart broken while Dawn is still trying to deny what she knows. "You're wrong." Willow turns to Tara. "Tell them they're wrong." She turns back. "She's been here for three hours. We-we made up and everything. I think I would know if she was a vampire. Her-her hand would be cold and everything." Willow picks up Taras hand and holds it before herself. Her eyes close against the knowledge of what she's feeling.

"You're hand is cold." Her voice is barely above a whisper.

"I'm sorry baby." Taras voice reflects the tears which are falling down her cheeks. She pushes some hair behind an ear. "I'm so sorry. I couldn't stop her."

"No." Her protest is soft and full of uncertainty. She steps back when Taras face changes. But even with yellow eyes, brow ridges and wicked fangs there is an innocent beauty there that can't be hidden. Behind them Dawn cries out and races from the room.

"Step away from her Will."

But Willow is looking deeply into her former lovers eyes. Looking for the slightest hint of ferocity or malice. Tara simply nods and gently pushes Willow to one side then stands and faces Buffy.

"Buffy wait." Xander pulls on the slayers arm. She stops and lets him take a step forward. "What's wrong with this picture?"

Buffy looks from him to Willow to Tara "It doesn't matter. She's in the house. She could have killed Dawn or Willow. I've got no choice."

"No, you're right. She could have killed both of them long before we got back. Hell, she could have turned both of them in the time we were gone." Xander looked to Tara "Why didn't you?" Dead silence reigned across the room.

"Because she still loves Red" Spike spoke what everyone was coming to "and the Niblet."

"Is that true?" Willow asked her.

Tara shook her head "It doesn't matter. I know what I am. I know what has to be done."

Xander swore "She came here to die. She wanted to say goodbye and then wait until you" he pointed to Buffy "got home to dust her."

Buffy was confused. This was not normal behavior for a vampire. She looked up to find Spike watching her. Not Tara, not Willow but her. "What aren't you telling us?"

Spike swallowed "Harmony must have been a total wanker. She couldn't sire a proper childe if her unlife depended on it."

Xander blinked "My trains derailed, how about yours?" He asked Tara, who laughed softly and nodded. He realized she wasn't in gameface anymore but wasn't sure if she had noticed it.

"It's all 'bout blood, Slayer." Spike told them. "You should know that by now. The power of the Sires blood calls to a demon. The more powerful the blood, the more powerful the demon." He took out a cigarette and made to light it but the combined glare of Buffy and Tara stopped him. "I happen to know that Harmony, was turned by a bloody minion. Not even a childe. Minions have weaker blood. The summoned demon was a complete pounce. She acts more human than demon, any of you know that." They all nodded in agreement.

"Now Harmony goes off and sires a few minions and a childe" He nods to Tara "and all of them are even less demonic. Harms blood is so weak that the demon it summoned was taken over by the bodies wants and desires. Not the other way around. It's happ'ned before but most of the time the new vamp is killed as soon as an older one finds it." As he said this he wouldn't meet any of their gazes.

Willow felt her eyes go wide. "Drusilla and you. She was nuts. I-I heard Angel say that it weakened her demon, made her more human. She protected you didn't she?"

Spike growled at her "Bloody well thanks for air'n that little bit of knowledge fer everyone to hear there, Red."

"So, if she's more human than demon" Dawn rushed into the room as she spoke "then there's no reason to stake her, right?"

"Dawnie..." Tara started to scold her.

"No!" Dawn yelled at her. "I cut my finger in the kitchen earlier. I saw the way you looked at it." Buffy glowered but didn't move. "I didn't realize it until now. It must have driven you nuts but you washed it and placed a band-aid on it. She didn't even try to taste it or anything."

Buffy suddenly found herself trying not to laugh as she saw Taras face screw up in disgust at Dawns words. "I never thought I'd ever say this" she pointed to Tara then Spike "she more harmless than you are."

"You couldn't hurt us even if you wanted to." Willow jumped on the idea with delight.

Tara shook her head. "No. I could" That got the rooms attention. "Buffy, you have to stake me." It took her a moment to continue. "I've already taken one life. I won't be responsible for another." She didn't wait for anyone to ask the question. "When I woke, I was... so hungry." Only Spike could truely appreciate what she had felt. "I... I couldn't think. And then there was a warm body in front of me."

Her voice became somewhat dreamy. "I remember sinking my fangs into her neck. The warmth of the blood. The feel of her form against me, struggling for a little and then relaxing into the stupor of blood loss." She remembered having an orgasm as the girls heart had stopped but she couldn't bring herself to tell them that. Looking into Spikes eyes she saw that she didn't need to tell at least one person that fact.

"I can't live with knowing that next time it might be one of you." She looked pointedly at Willow. "I can't risk hurting you."

"But don't you see" Dawn stepped next to her "that fear proves your more human than demon."

Tara smiled down at Dawn and stroked her hair. She looked into Willows eyes as a tear slipped down her cheek. Willows calm smile faded a little at what she saw in Taras face. Tara then found Buffys gaze and let the demon slip forward. Her eyes turned cold and hard as she bent her head to Dawns neck and sank her teeth deeply into the girl.

"Tara! NO!" Willow tried to stop her.

"DAWN!" Buffy yelled as she surged forward. Tara released Dawn and pushed her aside, leaving a clear opening for Buffys stake. She smiled in her human face, blood still around her mouth, as the Slayer struck home.

"NO!" Willow wailed in pure anguish as Tara accepted the stake into her chest. She watched the light in the blonds eyes go out, become ash and crumble to the floor. The redhead witch crumpled along side of her past lover.

"Will" Buffy began "Willow I-I'm-"

She was cut off by Willows scream "GET AWAY FROM ME!" Which threw Buffy backwards, over the couch and up against the stair wall. Spike went to check on Dawn while Xander slowly approached his best friend.

"You okay?" Spike asked the brunette.

"She-she didn't even drink any." Dawn told him. She looked directly into his eyes. "When I asked what it felt like, to be drained. You said I'd know if it ever happened." Spike nodded. "She didn't do it. She got just enough..." To fool her sister.

"Wills." Xander knelt next to her. She didn't respond. "Willow." Xander recoilled as a hollow and broken thing looked at Xander from behind Willows eyes. He didn't know what to say to her. He just gathered her into his arms and held on for her life.

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"I'm leaving." Willow told Xander when he walked into the dining room the next morning.

"Leaving?" He was confused.

"Sunnydale." She told him as she placed her coffee mug next to a sealed metal cylinder. Xander did a double take and knew what the cylinder was.

"She would want-"

"DON'T even try and tell me what she would want." Willow snapped at him. "I've had it with this place. I'm leaving."

"Where will you go?" Dawn asked from the archway leading into the hall.

Willow looked down at the cylinder. "L.A. to start. From there... I don't know."

"How long will you be gone?" Dawn asked, inbetween sniffles. Willow continued to stare at the cylinder.

She only looked up at the nearly soundless entrance of the Slayer. The look which passed between them could have frozen Hell and half a million stars. Willow picked up the cylinder and moved past them, heading upstairs.

"Willow?" Dawn called after her. Buffy stopped her from following the redhead.

"She's not coming back Dawn. Ever." Dawn ran from the house, leaving Buffy and Xander to stare at each other and wonder how they were going to survive.

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End file.
